Heads up, Mourinho! Ajax make big call ahead of Benfica clash | OneFootball

On the same night that Benfica once again disappointed in the Champions League, Ajax made a drastic decision. The Amsterdam club, one of the Eagles' opponents, announced that it had dismissed John Heitinga, a Dutch football legend, from his position as coach. Thus, José Mourinho will have to take into account some important changes in the next clash.

The final straw came last night, November 5, when the Dutch team, just like Benfica, suffered their fourth defeat in the Champions League group stage, this time losing at home to Galatasaray, 3-0. It's worth remembering that the Club of Light also failed to smile, leaving defeated by Leverkusen (1-0).

Through an official statement made on social network X, Ajax announced that it had ended its relationship with the former Dutch international: "Ajax has dismissed John Heitinga with immediate effect. The head coach's contract was set to run until June 30, 2027, but will now be terminated".

Thus, the Dutch coach could not withstand the poor run of results, which has persisted since he took over the team following the departure of Francesco Farioi, now at the helm of Porto. Heitinga was unable to provide an adequate response, especially in the Champions League where, in addition to the defeat against the Turks, Ajax lost to Inter (2-0) and was thrashed by Marseille (4-0) and Chelsea (5-1).

The match against Benfica is scheduled for three weeks from now, on November 25, in Amsterdam. Until then, the Dutch club is expected to appoint its new coach. Among the options on the table, the press has reported in recent months that Erik ten Hag—without a club since leaving Leverkusen on September 1—is the favorite among Ajax's board members.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.